Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The Swordsmanship Genius Who Transcends Through a Pact Chapter 16

She thought for a moment while looking at Winterbane, which I was still holding.

Her expressionless voice carried no emotion whatsoever, which somehow made her even more intimidating.

“I more or less understand. Let's go.”

After that brief thought, she turned and began walking, and I followed behind.

As a bonus, the nobles who had been pretending to look away began staring even more intensely.

Following her, I eventually arrived at the audience chamber.

“I greet His Grace the Grand Duke of Vahen, heart of the North and the Empire's unbreakable bulwark.”

“No need for formalities.”

I greeted him according to etiquette, but the Grand Duke simply waved it off.

Luke Vahen.

A man I'd encountered frequently in the game.

Seeing him through a screen hadn't come remotely close to conveying this level of pressure.

Merely meeting his eyes once made my heart tingle.

“You became the brightest star of the Subjugation Festival.”

“I was fortunate.”

“Too modest. A man ought to show his ambition.”

Luke Vahen rose from his seat as he said it and slowly walked toward me.

“I hear you made quite an adorable wager with Johan.”

“...”

“I'm not here to scold you. If anything, it's worthy of praise.”

Tap, he placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled, and somehow the sight felt more unsettling than anything else.

“It seems you want something from Vahen.”

“May I say it?”

I slowly raised my gaze and met Luke Vahen's eyes.

His presence felt as though it were crushing my entire body, but I had no intention of backing down.

“Speak.”

“I want a stronger North.”

“...?”

“No matter what calamity befalls the North, Vahen will not fall.”

Luke Vahen gave a short nod as though that were only natural.

“But the North as a whole is different.”

“An interesting perspective. How so?”

“The monster invasions have grown quiet, and the noble houses of the North have gradually settled into complacency.”

“And?”

His gaze fixed solely on my eyes, silently urging me to continue.

“But the threats haven't ended. Monsters aren't our only enemies.”

The barbarians who had originally ruled the North, the monsters gathering their strength, and beyond them, the demons who controlled those creatures.

The northern front had countless enemies it needed to hold back.

‘If the North falls, that's an apocalypse ending.’

The instant the northern front collapsed, this world would effectively begin heading toward destruction exactly as it had in the original story.

“So what is it you want?”

“An alliance of the North.”

Silence lingered for a moment.

In that breathlessly cold stillness, Luke Vahen stared at me before the corners of his lips rose.

“Interesting.”

“...”

“One united North. The people in the center would faint if they heard you say that.”

Even as he spoke, his gaze never left me.

I knew it was an excessive request.

And I knew it could cause problems.

“Still, I didn't dislike it. A man of the North should possess at least that much ambition.”

Luke Vahen rose from his seat and handed me something.

It was an elegant box embossed with House Vahen's crest.

“Open it.”

I opened it without hesitation and found a single orb inside.

An immense cold had been condensed into something no larger than my thumb.

“An Ice Crystal. The reward for winning the Subjugation Festival. If you wish, I can help you absorb it, but...”

He examined my body and let out a quiet laugh.

“That doesn't seem necessary.”

“Thank you.”

“There's nothing to thank me for. It's merely the reward you earned.”

This was another reward I hadn't expected.

I'd imagined receiving a new weapon or perhaps another skill, but never an Ice Crystal.

‘Its efficiency for me right now is ridiculous.’

Cold Heart, Frost's Blessing, the Vahen mana cultivation art, and now an Ice Crystal.

I'd obtained an essential elixir at the exact moment I was developing a build optimized around cold.

“Normally, I would've given you a weapon...”

Luke Vahen's gaze shifted back toward Winterbane at my waist.

“We'll discuss that again when we arrange the transaction you mentioned.”

As expected, he seemed to know everything Johannes and I had discussed.

“I'll hear more about that intriguing wish of yours then as well.”

So it worked.

“Anything else?”

It was practically an order to leave.

I bowed, stepped outside, and only then did my breath finally burst free.

“Hoo.”

“Are you all right?”

“I'm fine. More than fine.”

I'd made the gamble because I trusted Luke Vahen's personality.

And I'd even received an unexpected reward.

There was no reason I wouldn't be fine.

As I quietly exhaled, I noticed Larissa Vahen had come out as well.

“Is Ian strong?”

She looked at me for a moment, then turned her gaze toward Tarian as she asked.

“I don't know about now, but he will undoubtedly become stronger than me.”

“I'm looking forward to it. Ian.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“Next time, make a wager with me too.”

I watched her back for a moment as she walked away.

“You've already promised yourselves a future together. Impressive, Young Master.”

“You've gone insane, Tarian.”

That final look had clearly belonged to a predator.

It was more like a fisherman telling a small fry to come back once it had grown larger.

“Hoo. That was exhausting.”

“You worked hard.”

“You too.”

“I did nothing, though. Still, I'm glad to see you've grown another step stronger.”

I'd definitely gained a lot during the Subjugation Festival.

A mana cultivation art, an Ice Crystal, and even ties with House Vahen.

I was trading pointless remarks with Tarian as we prepared to head back when—

-Little warrior, you've achieved your goal.

-I offer my praise for your growth.

‘Praise only?’

-Of course, there should be a reward to accompany it.

Frostfang whispered.

-Grow stronger.

-Until this entire North lies beneath your feet.

Its voice gradually faded after those words.

“All right, then.”

It was time to check the reward from the Pact.

And the moment the message appeared, my eyes widened involuntarily.

[You have successfully completed your Pact with Frostfang (Rare).]

[‘Frost's Blessing (C)’ is strengthened.]

[‘Frost's Blessing (C)’▶‘Blessing of Frost (C)’]

* * *

“Hoho, to think such a hidden dragon had been lurking in our North.”

“Baron Rashid, have another glass.”

“Haha, thank you.”

After finishing my conversation with Luke Vahen and stepping outside, I hurriedly turned my head at the sight before me.

I felt bad leaving my brother to deal with that sort of thing, but...

‘I doubt I'd be any good at flattering those people anyway.’

Besides, the family's reputation was rising quite nicely.

Though not everyone was looking at me favorably.

“A nobody like him...”

“He could've used some trick.”

Several young nobles, especially promising talents who had competed alongside me in the Subjugation Festival, occasionally sent jealous looks my way.

“A trick? Are you saying I used one too?”

“Lord Johannes, that's not what I meant...”

“Tsk. You'd be better off spending that time improving your skill. I saw Ian's ability with my own eyes.”

Of course, Johannes quickly drove those sorts of people into a corner.

‘He really does have a good personality.’

And since I'd received both Winterbane and Extreme Cold Art from him, he was practically my benefactor as far as this Subjugation Festival was concerned.

As I made small talk with various nobles and established some basic connections, I also listened to the rumors circulating among them.

“The monsters have been unusually active lately. We've lost several camps because of it.”

“I hear Count Zikel's family is trying to reclaim the mine they lost. The atmosphere has been rather unsettling lately.”

“At least we're fortunate to have talented youngsters like Ian Rashid.”

The praise for my talent was pleasant enough, but I paid closer attention to the other conversations.

What each person wanted.

And how the political situation in the North was developing.

‘There's plenty here I can use.’

As I'd already told Luke Vahen, what I wanted was an alliance of the North.

An alliance wasn't something that could be created by simply telling everyone to work hard together.

The game itself had made that painfully clear.

‘It was honestly easier to shut my brain off and fight.’

I'd seen things collapse spectacularly more than once because people got tangled in disputes over their own interests.

So what I needed to do now was calculate what they could give me and what I could give them.

And I quickly reached my conclusion.

At my current rate of growth, I could pull it off.

“Hah, it's finally over.”

“Please return to your room and rest.”

“Yeah, I should. Oh, could you guard the door tonight?”

“Are you planning to consume the Ice Crystal?”

“I am.”

I returned to my lodging and sat calmly in the room.

Tarian was already standing guard outside, so the conditions were perfect for consuming the Ice Crystal immediately.

《Skill》

[Normal] - Northern Swordsmanship (A+), Frost Step (A), Cold Heart (C+), Hide of Bitter Cold (B)

[Epic] - Extreme Cold Art (D), Blessing of Frost (C)

‘I've already come this far.’

Looking at my now impressive skill window brought a smile to my face.

The effects I'd gained when Frost's Blessing evolved were especially remarkable.

[Blessing of Frost (C)]

[Rank: Epic]

[Description: Frostfang's blessing protects you. Mana efficiency increases greatly, and frost infuses your mana. Additionally, Frostfang's performance increases. Frostfang inflicts the Curse of Bitter Cold upon opponents.]

Frostfang had already been close to a famed blade, and now its performance had increased even further.

It might sound simple at first glance, but actually wielding it made the difference unmistakable.

‘It feels like an entirely different weapon.’

Even before, Frostfang had been considered exceptionally powerful for a Rare-grade weapon.

But now it was nearly comparable to an Epic-grade one.

And instead of merely inflicting a freezing debuff, its curse had evolved into a bitter-cold debuff.

Against opponents lacking sufficient resistance or magical power, it could freeze them outright.

‘Most ordinary mobs would freeze before I even touched them.’

Add the further increase in mana efficiency, and the corners of my mouth rose naturally.

The sword, which had once looked like nothing more than a carved icicle, was now sharpened like glass while fragments of ice circled around it.

I hadn't expected it to be enhanced this much, so naturally I was more than satisfied.

Of course, I had no intention of being content with this. There were still more than enough swords left for me to form Pacts with.

“Hoo.”

And this wasn't even the end.

There was still the Ice Crystal.

I opened the box again and picked up the thumb-sized crystal.

The instant I did, tremendous cold spread through the room, yet thanks to my various skills, it felt as though my magical power was increasing instead.

“Gulp.”

The moment I placed the Ice Crystal in my mouth and swallowed, piercing cold spread through my entire body.